For months, many Boca Raton residents have been asking the same question – why is the current City Council (aside from Andy Thompson) so determined to push through the “One Boca” downtown government campus project? What’s driving the urgency? And why does the public process feel resistant to scrutiny and oddly coordinated?
Wanting transparency is not antidevelopment
These are not antidevelopment questions. They’re pro transparency questions. And in local government, transparency matters most when large public projects intersect with political advocacy.
What began as Tierra Frisbie’s private development concept, has since rebranded into something called “One Boca”. Rebranding is not unusual. What is unusual is how aggressively the idea has been promoted politically. There is now a full on political advertising campaign in progress on television, social media and text messaging. Residents are right to ask who is funding the advocacy behind this project and why?
Recently, residents received an email from “One Boca” whose footer stated it was a Paid Political Advertisement paid for by A Better Boca Raton, 102 NE 2nd St. Unit 172, Boca Raton, FL 33432. That address corresponds to a UPS Store lockbox, not a traditional office. Legal – yes, but notable for an organization advocating a major local referendum.
A deeper look at who’s behind One Boca
The group’s messaging urges a YES vote to “Support our Mayor and City Council”. “Our”? Is One Boca from Boca Raton?
A deeper look at state records (search) shows that A Better Boca Raton was formed on December 22, 2025, just four months before the Boca’s March 2026 municipal election. The PAC lists Natalie Kato as the Chairperson with an address of 201 South Monroe St, 4th Floor, Tallahassee, FL 32301 (see Statement of Organization).
The mission is described as “Statewide political committee to support or oppose local referendums in Boca Raton and other cities, and other activities not prohibited by Chapter 106.”
That’s broad.
What makes this situation more perplexing is the financial trail, or lack thereof. According to state filings A Better Boca reported only a single $50 contribution in Q4. A massive political advertising campaign with a single contribution of $50 from it’s inception. Let that sink in. This contribution came from Before Election’s There’s Help, an entity with over $200,000 in funds. A closer look at state records (below) reveals multiple interconnected political committees, some sharing names, addresses, and individuals.
PACs upon PACs upon PACs.
Again – all legal. But legality is not the same as clarity. And, it’s not from Boca.
When voters see a polished campaign pushing a major public project (yet the primary PAC reports almost no funding) it’s reasonable to ask where the real money is coming from, and how is influence being exercised?
Local elections are where money can have the greatest impact with the least scrutiny. Unlike state or federal races, PACs often fly under the radar. Yet the decisions they influence … land use, debt, city assets, land leases and long term operating costs hit residents directly and last for decades.
The question isn’t whether the downtown government campus is good or bad. The question is why the urgency and why is a new PAC behind this?
A simple suggestion is to vote with your eyes open because Boca Raton voters deserve clear answers and transparent funding, especially when billions in future obligations and the shape of the downtown are at stake.
Before casting your vote on March 10, 2026, take time to look up who is funding the messaging you receive. Follow the money, and ask why political committees appear suddenly and quietly before major votes.
